The Latest (and Rumored) Apple products.

So it's almost March, and this is that time where all the Apple product speculation reaches a high. We've heard plenty of rumors of a new iPad, a new iPhone, and starting today, you can buy that brand new MacBook. So here's what I have to say on the three:


MacBook Pro
The newest release of the MacBook Pro has a few changes, including Quad-Core i7 CPUs, HD Video Camera, ATI Radeon Graphics, and most notable, the new Thunderbolt I/O. It's not a complete makeover, and yeah, that's OS X 10.6, but still, if you've listened to any reliable source and waited out a few months to pick up a new MacBook Pro, this is worth a few extra bucks. The big thing here is that I'm curious to see how Apple will utilize Thunderbolt (a.k.a. Lightpeak). The technology, which can supposedly reach speeds of 10x higher, may also make its way to other devices soon.


iPad 2
The Xoom is considered a legitimate contender to the iPad mainly because it pushed the hardware so much on what the iPad had (think dual-core, higher res, but most importantly, camera), and reinvented the software. Apple's response? On March 2nd, Apple holds an "iPad-related Press Conference." As for what we expect from this new iPad, rumors have it that it will have a dual-core CPU (ARM-Based, possibly Samsung Exynos?) at 1.2 GHz, an improvement in RAM, and resolution bumped up (sorry, no Retina display. yet). On another note, it's supposed to have a dual CDMA/GSM chip that will allow it to use both Verizon and AT&T 3G Data Software-wise, there's rumored to be a launch of say, iOS 5, or at the least 4.3 (I could see that justifiable). All in all, it's a bump up from the original - think of it as the iPhone 3G except in iPad.


iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 is also a curiosity. Since the iPhone landed on Verizon, is it possible that it could possibly support LTE? With the onslaught of dual-core phones, could the next iPhone possibly have them too? Since NFCs are starting to be recognized, could the iPhone have them too? Right now, it is believed that the iPhone 5 will support NFC or some similar form of mobile payment (iCoin? lol) and that it will have a dual-core CPU similar to that of the one on the iPhone 5 (Exynos if anyone cares). It's also expected to have a dual CDMA/GSM Chip, Retina Display (possibly bumped up to 4.0"), and a few other minor improvements. Software-wise, iOS 5 is expected for this. What that means? We don't know quite yet.


iPhone Nano
This one's really new and curious. Bloomberg Businessweek reported Apple was working on a smaller, budget-friendly version of the iPhone. Since then, rumors have poured in, mockups have flown, and people expect it. As for this, it's expected to possibly have specs a step DOWN from the current iPhone 4, but still a 3"+ Retina display. Again, budget is the key here, so an iPhone 4 in a new shell is more than sufficient.